The Deputy Director, International Republican Institute (IRI) Nigeria, Mr Sunday Alao has advocated for the formulation of gender equality policies that will encourage more active women participation in politics, in the country.
Alao made the appeal in Abuja, at a male ally transformative training organised by the institute, with funding from the Women’s Democracy Network for members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said politicians should make deliberate efforts to encourage more women’s inclusion in politics by listening to their perspectives.
He said male ally could encourage active women’s participation by acknowledging and reflecting on the power and privileges that hinder the female gender.
“Acknowledge and reflect on your own power and privilege as a man, educate yourself about the barriers that women and other under-represented people face.
“Challenge/Take action when you observe sexism, harassment or inequality and engage in supportive partnerships with women and advocate for gender-equitable policies and practices,’’
Alao said.
He urged politicians to provide equal opportunities to everyone interested in active politics without intimidation and suppression.
According to him, the active participation of women in politics will enhance the quality of life of children adding that women with better income can provide better healthcare, food, and opportunities for their families.
“There’s research that shows specifically that businesses that put some women in the top leadership roles do better than businesses with only men in leadership.
“Equal education and jobs also significantly reduce poverty rates, lifting an entire nation and improving its GDP.
“When a country addresses major areas of gender inequality like education and employment, it fosters peace,’’ Alao said.
Alao said the institute was committed to encouraging various marginalised groups to find their voices and make an impact in making decisions that affect them.
He said the institute recently organised a similar training for representatives of the All Progressives Congress drawn from states across the country.
Prof. Ernest Ereke, an IRI Consultant described discrimination against women as an agelong practice that has become pervasive in society and therefore systemic.
Ereke said reversing discrimination against sectional interest groups in Nigeria as a herculean task that would naturally elicit some backlash and resistance.
“Therefore, as male allies who want to take up this onerous task, you must be prepared for resistance from nearly every segment of the society including even women,’’
He said.
The PDP Deputy Women Leader, Hajia Hajara Wanka expressed satisfaction with the turnout of participants at the training.
Wanke who commended IRI and the Women’s Democracy Network for organising the training urged them to sustain the engagement for effective results.
She expressed her willingness to partner with the IRI in the future to improve active women’s participation in politics, especially in the states.
Some participants drawn from across the states expressed their commitments to improving active women’s participation in politics in their domains.
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